“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The people gathered in the upper room were waiting to receive power (120 people, not just the 12 apostles). When a mighty rushing wind came through the room, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and received power. That power was to enable them to “be witnesses to Me” wherever they go, Jesus said. As we examine the book of Acts and the way the power was used, we can get an idea of how the power can be experienced in our lives—if we keep in mind that we can’t make formulas for confidently telling when and how the Spirit will work in us.
They exhibited this power as witnesses to Jesus. The power was not for themselves. It was to share Christ in some way. Some of those ways were through the sharing of the gospel, telling of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, all witnessing of His continuing work beside the Father in heaven. They shared that Christ was the promised Messiah who fulfilled the prophecies about Himself. He is the King of the kingdom of God that is presently on earth (Jesus said it was “at hand”). To validate their message, some of them performed miracles and healings. Other results included praying in a language that was not their own. The message of Christ included obedience, being baptized, repenting of sin, and faith in Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit empowered all these things so the followers could communicated boldly while being faithful to the Bible.
I’ve had plenty of periods that were not exactly filled with Spirit-powered moments. Just simple living day by day. But when those “simple” days are accompanied by deliberately putting myself at His disposal to communicate Christ’s obedient life, then life perks up. Reflecting His peace instead of my hastiness, mercy instead of impatience, kindness in place of revenge. In these instances of am witnessing to Him.
I’ve found unusual instances of power when pondering the message to give to the kids on Sundays, the power that fills my imagination with the method or ways to share the message. Sometimes there is more joy or vigor or liveliness in sharing the message than normal. Sometimes my mind rehearses the upcoming message with unusual intensity and repetition, and I feel it long to burst out.
I’ve experienced the power when I shared the gospel with people in gospel outreaches. Sometimes it is simply sharing answers in a gentle way to questions they ask about the Bible. Sometimes the power shows when I pray for a person in a convalescent home. The prayer gives an unrehearsed biblical foundation of life that corrects their erroneous perspective, and sets them on the right path of walking with God, if they so choose. I amazed at the words that proceed from my mouth.
I look forward to gatherings where Christians meet. The weekly men’s group, the convalescent home, the monthly arts community at our church, and more—all are opportunities for me to ask and probe and see how the Spirit wants to communicate life to the hearer. This is a far cry from my old life, lounging on the couch reading one novel after another after school or work.
The Spirit guided Philip out to the desert. The Spirit forbid Paul from going left or right in his missionary journey. An angel told Peter to follow the Gentiles to the centurion’s home. I’ve had unusual guidance as well, whether by words or impressions of what to do. I put them in my “God book.” I’m not sure I have the gift of evangelism, but I “do the work of an evangelist.” Similarly, I am not an ordained pastor, but I do the work of a pastor when I minister to others.
Many people, when they read the Bible, do little else with it. They read, then put the Bible down. But when I read, my mind is filled with insight about what I’m reading, and I write. Before, I was content to add tiny notes to the wide-margin Bible I used. Later, that wasn’t enough, and I wrote my notes on notepads, then later typed my observations on the typewriter then on computer, as the decades passed. I wrote blog posts, articles, books. I take my writing as a gift from the Holy Spirit, knowing that what’s really happening is that when I open my Bible, I am positioning myself to receive from the Lord a blessing He longs gives to a seeking sinner.
These experiences of mine are similar to some of the ways the Spirit has empowered the people in the book of Acts. They are ways to witness of Jesus. Examine your own life and see what is the thrust of your life. Is it to service, or to self? Is it about Jesus Christ, or idols? The Bible, or the TV? The Spirit will not empower the enemy of the flesh. The book of Acts continues today. Jesus will bless those who witness of Christ in their conduct from a surrendered life that wants to promote Christ over the culture.
